WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) If three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer has his way, Major League Baseball's pitch clock will die in the South Florida humidity.

"I know as players that's something that MLB is trying to negotiate," the Washington Nationals ace said Saturday night. "I don't think there's negotiation here. As players, it just shouldn't be in the game. Having a pitch clock, if you have ball-strike implications, that's messing with the fabric of the game. There's no clock in baseball and there's no clock in baseball for a reason."

After pushing for an agreement with players last season, management decided on its own to experiment with a 20-second pitch clock during spring training this year, part of the sport's effort to speed the pace of play. Owners have the right to implement the clock for the regular season but would prefer to reach an agreement with the union.